Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I was away all week at camp, working eighteen hour days. It was all menial labor, but the food was delicious and I made many friends. I may add an in-between chapter... in between these two chapters eventually, but not very soon. My apologies! Now, time for the real question... is this the end? Read on to find out!

"Marriage to her Country"

The whole situation felt ethereal. Ashe could hardly believe it had all happened so quickly: Vayne's defeat, Archadia's surrender, Dalmasca's autonomy. The entire encounter seemed but a dream of a dream to her, though she had been there for all of it. And now here she stood, in a church in front of an unbelievable gathering of people, about to be crowned queen of Dalmasca.

Ashe nearly felt like vomiting from anxiety. Instead, she glanced around and sought reassurance in the eyes of her friends, all standing opposite her on the altar. There was Vaan, the plucky pickpocket who dreamt of being a sky pirate, and who had helped her to find answers. There was Penelo, the kind-hearted girl who kept Vaan in line (most of the time), and who always put the concerns of others before hers. Next to her was Balthier (looking rather smug), the charming sky pirate with an eye for treasure and an even more astute eye for trouble. Beside him was Fran, his viera partner and an incredible warrior, whose finely tuned senses saved them all more than once.

And then, of course, there was Basch. He looked upon her earnestly, with some sense of pride and relief in his normally cold eyes. Of course he was happy: this was not only her crowning, it was also his repentance. She quickly averted her gaze, though his image stuck in her mind even as she surveyed the crowd of people gathered in the pews. She knew they would all gather there again someday for her wedding. Basch would as well, but only as a guard to stand watch for anyone brave enough to foil the ceremony. Something inside her felt that anyone who wanted to foil her eventual wedding was more than welcome to.

Unable to resist, she looked at him again. He had not taken his eyes off her. He was especially handsome, with his hair brushed back and draped in the finest clothes Rabanastre had to offer. She suddenly felt like crying. The crown about to be placed atop her head symbolized two things: the freedom of Dalmasca, and the imprisonment of Ashe. She wanted to scream, and she wanted to offer the title to someone else. Imagining herself yelling, "So, who else wants to do it?" in the middle of a crowded church was almost laughable.

Yet, more than anything, she wanted Basch to come up there and kiss her. Because then she knew that, at the very least, she would not be alone. She could stand being queen if it meant she could be with him, even if it was only via secret trysts behind her husband's back. She would happy with that. It was selfish, she knew, but she could grant herself that one guilty desire. If only Basch would grant it for her.

Awakened from her thoughts, she felt a weight on top of her head. Had she just been crowned? Ashe blushed profusely as cheers rang through the church; she'd missed it. She looked around to see her friends hopping to and fro, laughing. Basch did no such thing, but only stood and smiled, and regarded her like he would a true queen.

The need for him suddenly swelled in her heart and burst. All at once, Ashe realized she had never wanted him. She had needed him. She needed him to hold her in the Garamsythe Waterway as they lay slowly dying. She needed him to be awakened by her kiss and no one else's. She needed him to undo her robe, to show her that he wanted her. She needed him to kiss her, to take her, to rescue her from this frightening world of inevitability. Because she was a princess and he was her knight.

But now she was a queen. She was Queen Ashelia B'nagrin Dalmasca, savior of her kingdom, restorer of peace… and she was in love with Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg, savior of her kingdom, but not of her. He would not rush up those few small steps and embrace her, and tell her that he wanted her, needed her, loved her. He would not kiss her lips and tell her not to worry. He would only stand and smile and think how, in all this chaos and clamor, he was absolved.

She wanted to march right down and slap him. But she knew that was not a queenly thing to do, and instead stood and stared. She suddenly realized she wasn't smiling, and quickly righted herself. She noted the occasion, the air and the atmosphere for future reference of Queen Ashelia's first forced smile. She hoped it was convincing, and only prayed she was strong enough to make it believable while she was breaking inside.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Vaan rush over to Basch. He talked excitedly, and she could almost laugh at how obviously Basch merely humored him. Vaan suddenly pointed at Ashe, who waved in response. With that open hand she waved, but she'd much rather have used it to strike Basch across the face.

Turning to the rest of the church, she managed to curtsy in the stiff gown she was dictated to wear. The crowd cheered and hooted, and confetti flew everywhere. A band struck up, music flooding the air. Ashe was escorted outside to a balcony where all of Rabanastre could see her. Their cheers flooded her ears, ecstatic. Vaan, Penelo, Balthier, Fran, and Basch all followed, standing near the railing of the balcony and looking out.

That day, Ashe shed a single tear. To the people of Rabanastre, it was a tear of joy and relief. It was a selfless tear that she graced them with, that she shed emotion especially for them. It was a tear containing boundless hope and possibility; a tear of restoration and of salvation. A tear with which to protect them from harm. To Queen Ashelia B'nagrin Dalmasca, it was a single tear of loss, the only she'd ever shed until the day she died. It was a tear not only for herself, but also for Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg, the second man she'd loved and lost.